If you are out looking for fireworks on Thursday, July 4th evening, make sure you look up for stars. The stage is set for summer stars. The bright orange star Arcturus is nearly overhead. You know you've found it when you look up and see the Big Dipper. The handle stars in the Big Dipper point to Arcturus.

Look for Spica, the brightest star low in the southern sky. The star is the main star in the zodiacal constellation Virgo.

That bright star rising in the east and quite high is Vega in the constellation Lyra. Vega is one of the brightest stars of our night sky and it will shine for us well into winter.

Enjoy this week of moonless nights. A thin crescent moon will show up after the coming week, so there will be plenty of dark nights ahead if the weather cooperates.

The brightest planet visible is about to make an appearance in our western sky. Venus is about to make an appearance in the nights ahead, but right now it is still too close to the glare of the setting sun.

We read a report that Venus sets a half hour after the sun, which doesn't give us enough time to see it. Still, if you are standing at Menemsha Beach watching the sun set, stick around in the weeks ahead for Venus. Venus won't be high enough for most of us until mid-July.